SunfallE

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][QUOTE=Sara][font=secret font]AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH there is no emoticon that can convey the dismay caused me by that story[/font][/QUOTE]I was so going... wtf when I woke up. I suppose I should be happy that it didn't hurt either. Since it was all over by the time I woke up. Anyway, on another tangent, I hate when I screw up or make mistakes. :animesigh Though I'm always glad when someone points it out. I'd rather know about stuff like that so I can work on fixing it and improving things. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]A couple of weeks ago I woke up to find one of my toes covered in blood. o_O The nail was torn so I can only assume that it caught on the blanket and ripped during the night when I moved in my sleep. I just wonder how I managed to do that without waking up. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Obligatory post to continue helping this thread choke OB. :D [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][quote name='Boo][font=lucida fax']Everyone's from Utah nowaday's[/font][/quote]Including you Boo. Since Aaryanna adopted you, that makes you an honorary Utahan. Congrats! :p Perhaps I should adopt Gavin and snag us another European. :D Anyway, biggest change I've noticed is how so many people have moved on. I'm always happy to see new faces like chibi-master who stick around. But I also miss those who don't really come around much anymore. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][quote name='Shinmaru']I read "doodling" as "drooling" somehow, which would have made the arrest more justifiable, I think. Drooling is gross.[/quote]I did the same thing. In fact every time I see the thread I still keep seeing it as drooling instead of doodling. Anyway, getting in trouble I could see. Getting arrested... o_O[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Our neighbor behind us will cut off branches and toss them back over, but they've never gone beyond those that were sticking over the fence. The neighbor to the east of us used to be the worst. Until a few years ago we'd have cars showing up all night long. They'd stay around for about five minutes and leave. Naturally this got old since many of them would have really loud music playing. One night when one of the kids came home their father stuck his head out the door and yelled that if the loud music didn't stop he'd never drive again. So that ended the horrible music but it didn't stop the constant cars coming around. I was beginning to wonder if we should call the cops when it suddenly stopped. Found out later, when the cops stopped by to ask some questions, that the kid had been dealing drugs. I don't know if they ever caught him or not, but since then it's been nice and quiet. Well other than the dogs in the back yard. They love to bark a lot. Fortunately they're quiet at night.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][B]Who is it?[/B] Desbreko & Michiyo Shimizu [B]Why are they nifty?[/B] They’re like having a real live pair of anime characters around with their antics. Watching Des get maimed for hugging Michi is in chat is terribly amusing. Just as Michi’s choice of maiming from shooting, launching him into space and tossing him into a volcano is. It’s always entertaining. [B]What is it?[/B] Threads like ‘What are you listening to?’ and ‘What are you reading?’ [B]Why is it nifty?[/B] It’s more than just seeing what fellow otaku’s are listening to or currently reading. I’ve gotten exposed to some excellent artists just by checking out what others are posting about. [B]Who is it?[/B] Members like SojiRem, AnimeArchAngel & somegirl. [B]Why are they nifty?[/B] They’re among the friendliest and kindest members you’ll ever meet. [B]Who is it?[/B] Chat Staff [B]Why are they nifty?[/B] These members freely devote a part of their time to keep things running smooth for everyone. They make my job all that much easier since I know I can depend on them to take care of things. [B]What is it?[/B] Adam’s new site, 100 Things I Learned [B]Why is it nifty?[/B] Because it shows just how hard Adam is willing to work to improve the site. This was more than just some side project; this was him spending the time to learn even more about setting up a website in order to further benefit the network as a whole. He’s truly dedicated to the growth of the site on a level that few know about or fully understand. [B]1) Member of the Year:[/B] Newbies. Because without you, we’d be lost. [B]2) Male Member of the Year:[/B] redjacketalchemis. For his Replica antics in chat. [B]3) Female Member of the Year:[/B] chibi-master. For her silly antics in the padded room thread. [B]4) Staff Member of the Year:[/B] Panda. [B]5) Otaku of the Year:[/B] Our fangirl members like Sangome and Miss Anonymous. [B]6) Funniest Member:[/B] Allamorph. [B]7) Storyteller of the Year:[/B] Wayward Warrior [B]8) RPG of the Year:[/B] Shinigami Dance. For the sheer amount of fun I’ve had with it. [B]9) Thread of the Year:[/B] Padded Room Party[/COLOR][/FONT]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]I don't know if it's possible or not, but the person who can help you with account issues is Gail. So drop her a line at [email]Gail@theOtaku.com[/email] and she'll help you out. Good luck.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][B]^[/B] You don't have the channel chibi is on set to super low volume already? :p [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Well I can see why they got annoyed with it. She didn't agree to appear in a campaign and certainly didn't give consent for them to use her image. Also, I agree with the sentiment that it definitely lacks the wtf-ness that the seakittens deal brought about. lol[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]^ WHY YOU NOT IN CHAT?!? :evil3:[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=#9933ff][font=monotype corsiva][size=4] As someone who's worked in memory care, hospice and as a home aide as well as someone who will be marrying into a family with a member with alzheimers I have to give you a lot of credit for taking care of your grandma for as long as you were able to. It's a lot of work to take care of someone depending on the stage. I'm also glad you don't feel any guilt for putting your loved one in the care of people who are somewhat trained to do so. I say somewhat because every case of Alzheimers/ demensia is different. [/color][/font'][/size][/quote]Thanks. I didn't want to put her there, but after trying different options where we would stop by after work or have someone else come to the home and work with her each day, as the dementia got worse it became painfully obvious that she needed 24 hour care. She had also fallen and gotten so hurt that she couldn't even fix herself food at one point. We tried having her back at home again after she was in a place to recover from her fall, but it didn't work since the brief time away from home only resulted in her having trouble recognizing her own home. After checking all the options I learned that here in Utah if someone's income is below a certain point the state will cover the rest of their care. So placing her in the nursing home was the only way we could make sure she got the care she needed. There simply wasn't enough money to pay for care at her house since she needed it 24/7. Ironically, once she had been in the nursing home for a bit, she did a lot better since they made sure she got her meds and that she was taken care of. She didn't really recognize me anymore but at least she was happy at the end. [quote name='Miss Anonymous']Each room will have a computer built in to the bed. I hope.[/quote]So you can still get your regular Shino fix, amirite? :p[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Two thousand ten. The [I]and[/I] seems superfluous. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]I've no idea what it will be like, but I'm not terribly worried over it. I used to have a more negative view of nursing homes but not anymore. I had to get guardian ship for my grandmother who suffered from dementia and lacked the ability to care for herself anymore. As much as I wanted to leave her at her home, there just wasn't the funds to pay for someone to keep an eye on her all the time. It didn't help that her memory problems resulted in her taking a broom and smashing things when they didn't work right. It gave me a better appreciation of how important those kind of places are. She got the care she needed and with her memory issues she didn't know where she was, at all. Though it also meant she no longer knew who I was either. I only hope I make it to 90+, like my grandmother did, before needing that kind of care. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][quote name='Gavin][SIZE=1']Although it'll sound distinctly un-Christmas-y I'm actually not a big present person any more. Unless I specifically mention something I'd like I've asked my parents/siblings to just give money/general gift vouchers instead so I can get stuff I actually want during the after Christmas sales. My parents and sister can't seem to understand this mentality to I did end up with a few pressies wrapped up under the tree this year.[/SIZE][/quote]My friends and family just don't understand that mentality either, nor the one of 'I don't need anything but if you do, just give me a card for a place like Amazon'. Probably because they can't seem to figure out why I'll spend it on practical stuff that I really want. This year they partially got it though and I was given a new electric blanket. My older one had finally died so I really needed a new one. I also got some new socks. Something else I really wanted. The rest of the stuff was more along the lines of stuff that is fun, but you don't really need. That included two albums by Within Temptation, one by Bond. I'm currently listening to one of the new Within Temptation albums actually. =P Three volumes of Tsubasa. Moar Fai is always a good thing. Some figurines from Lucky Star, Konata and Yutaka to be exact. I've got those sitting on the shelf right above my computer, along with some decorative candles I was given. I also got a collectible Star Wars doll and the Eye of the North expansion for Guild Wars. And last but not least, some goodies for snacking on. Some summer sausages and different cheeses. I'll be getting some crackers from the store to go with that today. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][quote name='Ace][FONT="Comic Sans MS"']Actually, that cliffhanger was supposed to last me a couple months at least. [/FONT][/quote]You're the moderator for this section now. NO EXCUSES ALLOWED. :p[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]They had Ranch Jalapeño cheese balls at the store.

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]I want to make a TARDIS out of gingerbread. ._.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]I see it as a decoration more than anything, much like being able to see one's post counts. Doesn't change anything and doesn't really hurt it either. I've never used this type of system before so at this point, I figure why not? Though I definitely think it should be open to everyone, like others have said.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][quote name='chibi-master']I blame your new avi/banner set. Adorable as it is, it's sort of creepy. Do you know how humiliating it is to be kicked by a scary little chibi thing in the comfort of your own unconcious mind?!:animedepr[/quote]It's his job to scar you mentally for life. That's what working for an evil dictator is like. =P Anyway, I finally got a new electric blanket. My old one died. ._. It's [I]sooo[/I] nice to have one that works again.

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]What I don't understand is how the Sussex Square Homeowners Association actually thought a 21 foot flag pole violated anything. o_O Most cities already have strict codes in terms of height and requirements for property, including flag poles. For example, around here most residential poles can't be higher than say 25 feet. One of my neighbor's up the street has one on their property, can't say I ever thought it was an eyesore. It certainly doesn't bother me in any way. lol[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Allan had hoped to get a little more conversation out of Maya since he had a lot of questions. However, the moment he was in sight of where he was supposed to go, she had directed him to someone overseeing some work and then vanished once it was obvious he could get there on his own. There was quite a bit of activity as personnel rushed about. Some seemed to be running patrols while others were carting materials and supplies about. It wasn?t hard to guess that they were setting up defenses for the town. He thought about letting Tess back out and changed his mind when the appraising gaze of the person Maya had pointed out met his. The dark haired man was wearing what looked like weathered fatigues. One eyebrow went up as Allan approached and then lowered as his expression became a bit more resigned. ?[B]So, what?s your name kid?[/B]? ?[B]Allan Shepherd.[/B]? ?[B]Since you were with Maya, I assume you were sent by Claire?[/B]? ?[B]Yes, she said I was to come to the south regiment for drills and duty.[/B]? His eyebrow shot back up and Allan hastily tacked on a sir. He waited while he looked him over, taking in the finely woven navy pants and white buttoned shirt with the dark jacket he was wearing. He shook his head slightly as if disappointed over something. ?[B]I don?t suppose you brought something a bit more practical to wear for down time?[/B]? He inquired of Allan. ?[B]I have some jeans and t-shirts[/B].? The man stifled a sigh, ?[B]Well that?s something I suppose. We?ll get you some fatigues for work and you can keep the jeans and t-shirts, but you?ll want to send the rest of your clothing like that back home.[/B]? Allan opened his mouth to protest but the man raised a hand indicating he wasn?t finished. ?[B]You won?t have room for both in your quarter?s kid and if you keep something like that and it gets ruined? you?ll just be out of luck since the only thing we replace around here is work related gear.[/B]? Allan?s mouth snapped shut and he nodded, ?[B]Understood, sir.[/B]? ?[B]Good.[/B]? He motioned for Allan to follow him. ?[B]Now what kind of Pokémon do you have and what kind of experience do you have with each one?[/B]?[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]It's 10 degrees outside right now. I miss summer. XP[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][CENTER][B]Mask of Darkness[/B][/CENTER] ?[B]Are you sure you want to go alone?[/B]? Ruby asked wistfully. Lucia nodded. ?[B]I?ve never worked for this place before so it?s likely to take most of the afternoon, if not longer, to get everything set up.[/B]? She tucked her communicator into her right pocket. ?[B]I don?t mind.[/B]? Ruby reminded her. ?[B]I know.[/B]? Lucia checked her other pocket to make sure she had the ID and other papers that she was often required to use. ?[B]I?ll see you later, Ruby.[/B]? She offered her a small smile before turning and leaving their abode to head for her appointment. Usually she hated working with a new company. They always wasted so much time gathering information and getting her set up so she could get into the more secure areas of the building. This time, it felt like a welcome break from the grueling schedule she was maintaining with Karl training her. Since they had started she had, on more than four occasions, been so exhausted that she had fallen asleep. If she was lucky, she would be able to sneak in some work on her own projects while they made her wait. Either way, Lucia found herself looking forward to it, something she hadn?t felt in a quite a long time. Once she was within a few blocks of the building, she landed and walked the rest of the way, meandering through the tall glass buildings of the city. Lucia paid little attention to the humans other than to weave her way through the crowds of people hurrying about. It took her a moment to realize that the occasional odd glance she was getting was likely due to her attire. She was wearing long tan pants with a soft blue silk blouse that left the shoulders bare. Lucia had forgotten to grab a light sweater or shawl. She didn?t get cold after all. Her destination was one of the larger buildings in the area, with solid glass walls that reflected the light from the sun in all directions. Lucia made for the main lobby doors without hesitation, the automatic doors opening upon her approach. She ignored the rich marble floors and plush chairs and made straight for the reception desk at the far back. A smartly dressed woman looked up at her and smiled. ?[B]Can I help you?[/B]? ?[B]I have an appointment.[/B]? Lucia handed over her ID card. ?[B]Just a moment please.[/B]? She replied politely before turning her attention to the computer screen that was just below the top of the counter. Lucia just waited for her to verify that she was expected. ?[B]It looks like your contact is still in a meeting.[/B]? The woman handed Lucia her ID back before standing up, she walked around the counter and motioned for Lucia to follow her. ?[B]This way please.[/B]? Lucia paused halfway through the motion of turning around to go and find a seat. She raised her eyebrow at the woman, questioning. But she was already heading to one of the closest elevators at a brisk rate. Lucia shrugged it aside and followed her into the elevator. She was slightly surprised when they got off on the fifth floor and the receptionist took her through several doors that required a key card to access them. Lucia was wondering why she hadn?t asked her to simply wait in the lobby when they finally came to a small conference room. There was a well polished hardwood table in the center of the room with plush chairs set around it. There were no windows but the lighting was bright but yet not too harsh. Along the far wall was what looked like a well stocked bar. Lucia?s eyebrow shot up when she realized that soft music was playing. The woman smiled apologetically, ?[B]It might be a while. Would you like me to get you anything from the cafeteria?[/B]? Lucia shook her head. ?[B]No, I already had lunch. Thank you though.[/B]? ?[B]Feel free to help yourself to the bar, if you change your mind and want something[/B],? she motioned to the small number pad and speaker attached to the wall next to the door. ?[B]Just press zero and that will ring my desk.[/B]? Lucia nodded. The woman smiled again and then left, the door closing behind her. The sharp click of an electronic lock engaging could be heard, but Lucia tuned it out. She was used to the security that most companies she worked for had. It was a bit unusual for them to take her back before the paperwork was done, but considering the receptionists offer to get her something to eat and placing her where she had access to anything she wanted to drink? it was obvious they were trying to pander to her so she wouldn?t feel slighted over being required to wait. She chuckled at the thought and settled down in one of the chairs before pulling her communicator out. In no time Lucia was solely focused on one of her own programs. She would know when someone finally approached so there was no reason why she couldn?t put the time to good use. A while later, Lucia looked up at the clock on the far wall, forty five minutes had passed and no one had come yet. She frowned slightly before looking back at her communicator. If they were going to take that long? she pulled up another program to access her lab. She hadn?t expected to have enough time to get that much work done, so she hadn?t bothered to transfer some of the data to her hand held. Lucia started the program to connect to her lab and then frowned when it shot back a connection error, telling her that it couldn?t be found. Puzzled she tried it again and got the same results. [I]What in the world?[/I] How could it not find it? Unless someone had physically destroyed her lab, she [I]should[/I] have gotten something. She tried connecting to something else only for it to tell her that there were no live connections within range. [I]That can?t be right![/I] She looked up from her communicator briefly before pulling up yet another program to scan the area. Other than the signature for her own spiritual aura and that of the electricity running the lights in the room and the lock for the door, there was nothing. She couldn?t even trace the source of that beyond a very short radius. It was as if the city didn?t exist. [I]Wait? I can?t sense the humans either![/I] Alarmed she stood up quickly, knocking the chair over. How could the city and the humans vanish without her noticing? Lucia walked over and pressed the zero button on the number pad. A moment later the receptionist answered. ?[B]Did you need something Miss?[/B]? The woman?s voice was clear. ?[B]Uh, do you know how much longer it will be?[/B]? She stammered, confused by her inability to sense the woman like she normally could. ?[B]Just a moment and I?ll check.[/B]? [I]What the hell is going on here?[/I] It was unlikely that her communicator was malfunctioning and even if it was, her ability to sense human auras wouldn?t be affected. She jumped when the woman?s voice came over the small speaker again. ?[B]It looks like they?re finishing up so it shouldn?t be much longer,[/B]? she said politely. ?[B]Was their anything else?[/B]? ?[B]No, thank you.[/B]? Lucia pulled her communicator out again to run another scan. The results were the same. Within a short radius everything registered, beyond that was blank as if it didn?t exist. She was positive that she had been sensing humans just fine when she first got there. An uneasy feeling came over her. It was one thing if her equipment didn?t work but not sensing humans? That was a problem she couldn't ignore. Until she knew what was causing it? she couldn?t stay there, job or not. She turned and ghosted out of the room. A moment later, as if passing through an invisible barrier, the normal sense of many humans around, came back. Lucia sighed in relief and then pulled out her communicator. To her relief, it connected to her lab just fine. She looked briefly back at the building after clearing the outer wall. She had never heard of anything that would interfere with her communicator [I]and[/I] keep her from sensing humans. She made a note to ask Nathan about it to see if he knew anything and then headed for her place. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Because they're making a Twilight Manga? I dunno. Why would regular fangirls bother Asians in the first place? =P[/COLOR][/FONT]